


I'm Here (But You Can't See Me)

by ahunter8056



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Catra is not happy about it, Comedy, F/F, Human Catra (She-Ra), but it's also very fluffy, except Catra actually becomes a cat, except it actually is, imagine if Adora found a stray cat and thought it reminded her of Catra, just like Adora's new cat, there's some angst, very random idea so I thought I'd make it into a fic, yeah it's as insane as it sounds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28901406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahunter8056/pseuds/ahunter8056
Summary: Adora finds herself reminiscing about her ex-best friend, parting on bad terms in their teenage years. When Adora takes in a stray cat, why does it remind her so much of Catra?Catra's world turns upside down when she wakes up to find she's become a cat. And who should be living in the first house she tries, in an attempt to find assistance? Her ex-best friend who abandoned her years ago. She doesn't know what's worse: being a cat, or being looked after by Adora who is completely unaware of her new cat's true identity.Getting back to normal can't come soon enough.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 189
Kudos: 319





	1. Whose Cat is This?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! First fic for She-Ra, so I hope you enjoy this crazy idea of mine.

Adora drummed her fingertips along her kitchen counter restlessly. The same rhythm that had gone interrupted for over a minute, in an unsuccessful effort to satiate her perpetual boredom.

It was her one day off in the week, and soon the afternoon would be giving way to the evening. Her next task would be cooking dinner, but it was slightly too early for that. She’d spent her day cleaning her house from top to bottom, doing laundry, and any other household chore the young woman could think of. But she’d completed all her tasks for the day, leaving her with nothing left to do for the moment.

Adora had never taken free time well. She always needed a task to work towards, something to keep her mind occupied. With Glimmer and Bow still at their respective jobs while poor Adora was stuck at home with her lousy day off, she couldn’t even ask her friends to keep her entertained. It was times like these she missed her ex-best friend, Catra. It had been years since she’d seen her, but Adora’s heart still yearned to reconnect.

And that’s why, try as she might to avoid doing so, Adora’s mind still flitted to reminiscing, desperately hoping that one day their paths would cross again.

* * *

_“Catra, slow down!” a teenage version of Adora called out to the back of Catra, still sprinting a few feet ahead of her._

_“Can’t hear you over the sound of how slow you are!” Catra called back, slight chuckles seeping into her voice._

_“But I’ve got something to tell you! Something important,” Adora pressed on, ignoring the burning sensation in her legs._

_“Guess you’re gonna have to catch me first then, dummy,” Catra shouted back as her feet continued thudding down the street._

_“But that’s not fair! You’re faster than me,” Adora pouted. The petulant shift in her tone worked like a charm as always, causing Catra to look back, skidding to a stop as she saw the sad look on her friend’s face._

_“Alright, what did you need to tell me?” Catra walked over to Adora, who had hunched over, panting to catch her breath amid the stabbing pain in her side. She waited for a moment as Adora’s breaths slowed down. But it took a few more seconds for Adora to finally speak. There was a look in her eyes that gave Catra a bad feeling._

_“It’s-uh-it’s just that-I-um,” Adora stuttered, completely failing to meet her friend’s mismatched eyes as she repeatedly laced and unlaced her fingers. That’s when Catra knew that something was wrong._

_“What is it Adora?” she asked, unable to keep the worry out of her tone._

_“I’ve got to-“ Adora started, before a shadow fell over the two of them._

_“Catra!” the voice of their caretaker spat with disdain. “What do you think you’re doing, dragging Adora out all this way?!”_

_“Ms. Weaver, please. It’s not Catra’s fault. I asked her to-“ Adora started to defend her friend before Ms. Weaver reached a bony finger to slide under Adora’s chin, carefully tilting it up to subtly force Adora to look up into her eyes._

_“Adora, you must keep her under better control,” Ms. Weaver’s voice shifted, from hatred to tenderness at the flick of a switch. “Even though after today, she won’t be your problem anymore.”_

_“What?” Catra hissed, feeling even more concerned at the malicious smirk Ms. Weaver shot her way._

_“Come now, it’s time you two were getting back,” Ms. Weaver announced before steering Adora back in the direction of the two girls’ foster home. And like it had been for over a dozen years, where Adora went, Catra followed._

_A few hours later, Catra finally found herself alone with Adora in their room, eager to ask the question Ms. Weaver had denied her earlier._

_“What’s going on, Adora. Why does Ms. Weaver think I’m ‘not your problem after today’?”_

_“I uh, I’m being adopted,” Adora answered, a bittersweet smile on her face as she was still unable to look Catra in the face. Fortunately, Catra hadn’t picked up on the unease just yet._

_“We’re getting out of here?” Catra surged forward, grabbing Adora by the shoulders, lightly shaking the other girl in excitement. “That’s awesome!” Her voice was so full of hope, her mismatched eyes shimmering with happiness that it physically hurt Adora, knowing that she’d have to break it to Catra gently._

_“Ms. Weaver, um, she said you’re not coming,” Adora managed to force out sheepishly._

_‘What happened to gently?!’ Adora screamed at herself in her own mind._

_“What?!” Catra squeaked, instantly releasing her hold on the other girl, and Adora already missed the contact. As Adora forced herself to look up, she could see Catra’s gold and blue eyes wide in outrage, eyebrows narrowed._

_“I tried, Catra-“ Adora started._

_“Bullshit!” Catra exclaimed._

_To anyone who didn’t know Catra, they’d probably think by looking at her that she was severely pissed off. But to Adora, who knew Catra better than she thought she could know any other person, she could feel the hurt radiating off her best friend. Something that instantly filled her with shame._

_Adora reached out to Catra. As her fingertips were mere inches away, Catra hissed and flinched back out of arm’s reach. Without another look she turned and took off running out of their bedroom, her brown hair flying in the air before she disappeared from view, slamming the door furiously behind her. Adora heard a couple more slammed doors echoing in the house before she decided to give chase._

_Adora finally found Catra twenty minutes later. She’d tried a couple of Catra’s hiding places before realising exactly where she’d be. And as she began to climb, she was rewarded with a view of Catra’s back._

_She was on top of the fire escape, the tallest point they could get to. Whenever Catra was upset, Adora always found her here. Even from a distance, she could see Catra curled up into a ball, hugging her knees. Her heart broke for the upset she’d caused in her best friend._

_Adora reached the top and opened her mouth…before promptly snapping it shut. She realised that she couldn’t think of anything to say that would make her friend feel better. The situation sucked for her; there was no way to ignore that._

_Even when she saw Catra finally notice the splotch of dried ketchup on her arm from dinner and quickly lick it clean, Adora was still standing there, silent as a statue. Considering how useless she felt in that moment, she may as well be._

_“You sure do like picking the hardest places to get to, huh?” Adora finally broke the tense and awkward silence._

_“Point being I can be alone, and not being bothered by you,” Catra shot back. Unlike their usual banter, the words were said bitterly, with true anger behind them. Adora shivered._

_“I thought you could be, I don’t know, happy for me?” Adora pressed, beginning to feel like perhaps Catra was being just a little bit selfish. But she definitely understood why._

_“Sure, I’m happy you’re abandoning me,” Catra said with scorn._

_“Catra, it’s not like that!” Adora exclaimed. She knew Catra would take it badly. But she didn’t realise she’d take it_ this _badly._

_“Whatever,” Catra rolled her eyes. “You’re getting out of this dump. Congratulations,” she mumbled dejectedly, but Adora knew it was far from sincere._

_“Come with me,” Adora suggested, reaching forward to grab Catra’s hand, tugging her best friend’s gaze away from the ground she’d been staring at the entire time. Adora stroked her thumb over the back of Catra’s hand, gliding across the smooth skin, keeping her eyes focused on Catra’s long nails, sharpened to a point to resemble claws. “We can fix this, I’ll get them to take you too.”_

_Catra hissed as she recoiled, snatching her hand out of Adora’s hand. A growing part of her was satisfied at the hurt look on Adora’s face. “Are you kidding me? Ugh! They didn’t choose me Adora, they chose you. That’s not going to change.”_

_Lost for any words to make the situation better, Adora stood there uselessly as Catra pushed past her and descended to make her way back into the house. Adora was all alone, just like she was about to be without her best friend._

* * *

Present day Adora shuddered as the memory replayed in her head. It was unpleasant, but it was still her last memory of Catra. Her best friend had made herself scarce the following day when Adora had left. And Adora couldn’t blame her, as much as she had desperately hoped for one last good memory.

Adora was broken out of her thoughts by a quiet mewling sound, followed by repeated scratching noises coming her door. As confused as she was, Adora was glad for the distraction. She opened the door to find a cat perched on her doorstep, looking up at her. For a moment, Adora thought she saw familiarity in those two mismatched eyes. One golden, one a dazzling blue.

Adora shook her head to dismiss the thought. Clearly, she’d let the memories of her old friend mess with her head too much.

While she didn’t have a habit of taking in strays, Adora felt herself shiver from the biting chill of the air. She especially felt sorry for the mystery cat, whose brown fur stood on end in the cold.

“Oh, hello!” Adora exclaimed in surprise before mumbling, “whose cat is this?” to herself.

'Are cats eyes supposed to be that wide?' Adora thought to herself. It was almost as if the cat itself looked shocked to see her.

“Come on inside,” Adora motioned to the inside to the cat, before slapping her hand to her face. How stupid of her, thinking a random cat would understand her. But much to her surprise, the cat seemed to read her lips as Adora spoke before slinking inside, as per her instruction.

As she followed the wayward cat into her kitchen, Adora couldn’t help but feel there was something strangely familiar about this cat that she’d never seen before in her life.


	2. I'm a Fucking Cat!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra wakes up, to find there is something different about her. Her horrifying realisation leads her to the door of the last person she expected to ever see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for coming back! I was absolutely blown away by the overwhelming response to my first chapter, in the best possible way. I'm used to posting works in far less active fandoms, so to get so many comments is not something I'm used to. I absolutely loved the detailed feedback I got, with some really brilliant suggestions that I will definitely be incorporating into this story.
> 
> I've also extended this story by a couple more chapters than originally planned, deciding to split the chapters up into smaller segments. This allows me to get content out quicker, which means you're waiting for shorter lengths of time for the next chapter. I'd call that a win-win

Catra’s head felt fuzzy. That was the first thing she thought after regaining consciousness. 

The second thing was that she could feel the wind flapping around her body, the sound of traffic around her much clear than it should be.

That led Catra to wonder if she’d fallen asleep with her window wide open again, cursing her own lack of foresight. That was exactly her, being so short-sighted to not think about the morning consequences if it provided short-term relief. If only she was more like Adora…

 _‘No!’_ Catra felt herself instinctively shake her own head to cast off the unwelcome feeling. It was far too early to even think of her former best friend. The “best friend” who had abandoned her several years ago, and whom she hadn’t seen since. She didn’t ever want to think about what that traitor was doing right now, how she was doing, or if that bumbling, adorable idiot was keeping herself safe.

Yet that never stopped her traitorous mind from torturing her of thoughts of someone she’d likely never cross paths with again, for almost every day since she'd left. It was a big city. They’d both grown up and got on with their lives. Besides that, who said Adora would even be recognisable to her? Who said she hadn’t already changed too much?

The war in her head rendering her fully awake, Catra cracked her eyes open. But when she did, she realised that leaving a window open was far from her first problem.

She was outside! Not tucked up in her own bed, but had somehow passed out on the sidewalk. It wasn’t even an area of the city she recognised. Not the dingy, industrial side of the city she lived in, but this street looked nice. It was well maintained, with freshly mowed lawns in front of each house, rather than concrete as far as the eye could see around her area.

It was bizarre, she didn’t recall drinking at all last night. Perhaps that proved that she’d drank far more than ever before. That was the only explanation that made sense right now. And given where she was, she supposed Scorpia hadn't been available to make sure she got home safe. Look how that turned out. God, Catra was a mess.

Catra reached a hand forward to push herself to her feet. But when her limb came into view, she instantly yelped and recoiled in horror. Completely failing to realise that the sound of her yelp in her own ears didn’t sound exactly it should.

What she saw before her own eyes wasn’t her own arm, fleshy and (mostly) bare of hair like any other feminine human arm. But it was a leg, covered in fur, with a paw at the end rather than a hand.

Noticing a puddle a couple of feet away from her, Catra crawled towards it, hoping that her suspicions would not be confirmed. 

_‘Why does moving on all fours now feel like a natural way of walking?’_

Reaching the puddle, peering at the murky reflection looking back at her, Catra confirmed that she was now in a living nightmare. Instead of recognising her own reflection, Catra saw a cat staring back at her. A cat whose fur coat just happened to be of the exact same shade of brown as her hair.

When she tried to make a snarky comment to herself, Catra found that only a pathetic mewling sound came out of the cat’s mouth.

_'Great. Now I can’t even talk.'_

Catra opened her mouth to laugh. Of course this sadistic joke of a universe would play such a twisted, sick joke on her. She’d always had catlike features since she was a child, from long, dangerously sharp nails, to prominent canine teeth. What better way to torment her than to turn her into a joke like her namesake?

Whatever asshole was in charge always had it out for her. Things had never been any different, and she always rolled with the punches. But what now? How was she supposed to roll with this? What could she do now except laugh morbidly at the nightmarish situation she was now stuck in?

Except, no laugh came out. Instead, much to her own dismay, Catra began to purr.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Without any plan in mind, Catra prowled aimlessly among the streets in the tidy part of the city. Given her reduced size in her feline form, it took her longer to cover more ground. A few strangers tried to pet her along the way, but she was quick enough to scramble out of the way, making sure to hiss at them, just like her natural reaction to strangers, even as a human. Only now she had no problem with showing it, rather than (mostly) just thinking it.

It must have been hours. She had no idea where she was going, or what her plan was. 

But as the sun began to dip, she couldn’t help but think of the growling in her stomach, or the increasingly bitter chill of the late afternoon air. Evening was approaching, and she needed somewhere to hole up. Perhaps if she found someone, they could help her?

It’s not like she’d trust the first person she came across, but what other choice did she have?

She was already on the fence, but when she started to feel rain pelting her fur, her decision was made, hissing at the unpleasant sensation. She wasn’t overly fond of water to begin with. But as a cat, she somehow felt even more sensitive.

 _‘Fuck you,’_ Catra thought angrily to no one in particular.

Catra scampered up to the first house she found. She reached an arm, or foreleg, to knock on the door. But she quickly discovered just how useless that was. She tried calling out, but only a pathetic mewling sound came out. With no other option left, she reached her paw out again and began to scratch at the door. She found the action cathartic, deliberately digging in as hard as she possibly could. At least she was letting some of her frustrations out.

When the door pulled open, Catra found herself looking at the very last person she expected to see. 

Shining blue eyes, wide open with surprise. The exact same hair style she’d been rocking since she was a child, the blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a distinctive hair poof at the top of her forehead. That same dumb look she always pulled when she was met with something she did not expect. Some things never change.

Adora.

“Oh, hello!” the blonde exclaimed, clearly startled. Her voice had hardly changed. A little deeper, but not by much. “Whose cat is this?” Catra heard Adora mumble to herself. 

Adora was much taller than she remembered. Though frankly, Catra wasn’t sure if that was due to her growing up, or thanks to the fact that she was now a fucking cat.

As she continued to stare, dumbfounded, she realised that Adora appeared to be studying her too. Of all the ways she’d fantasised over the years of encountering Adora once again, this was far from how she’d imagined it going. Usually she had a drink on hand that she could throw in Adora’s face. Or had the chance to let Adora know just how badly she’d broken little Catra’s heart. On some occasions she even finally admitted the long-time feelings for her ex-best friend that she kept firmly under lock and key. Most of the time it was somewhere in the middle of those separate scenarios. Being taken in as a stray cat was not something she had ever envisioned. Yet that was how it was playing out, for real.

“Come on inside,” Adora swept a hand to gesture further into her house. But Catra’s gaze was focused on her mouth as she spoke. Even despite her terrifying new reality, Catra found some humour in watching Adora slap herself lightly in the face, the idiot obviously overthinking inside her own head.

Catra chose to slink inside the big blonde dummy’s house. Even with the cosmic joke being played on her today, she’d finally been given a chance to cross paths with her old friend. Human or not human, she wasn’t going to waste it. And who knows? Maybe Adora could help her get back to normal.

She doubted the big blonde dummy could even begin to help her, even if she cared enough to want to. But it was worth a try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora are back together! Not in the way Catra was hoping for, but she gets what she's given, lol
> 
> What did you think? Please leave your thoughts in the comments, I would love to hear them! As always, feel free to leave constructive feedback, suggestions, or even just a good ol' keyboard mash for any lines that stuck out to you.
> 
> I did plan on keeping the story in Catra's POV until the final chapter. What do you think? Switch between the two? Or stick with how Catra tries (key word: tries) to deal with the situation.
> 
> I've gotten a good portion of the next chapter written, so I should have no problems releasing that on Monday.
> 
> Feel free to find and/or yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Until next time, stay safe! :)


	3. Surely Cat Food Can't be That Bad....Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra adjusts to being inside Adora's home. Adora tries to feed Catra, with disastrous results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this chapter was only supposed to be half of it. But the words kept flowing, and here we have a chapter longer than either of the previous two, with the rest of this chapter's plot going into next chapter. Which means I can add another chapter to this story. How long is this story going to end up, I ask myself.

Prowling inside Adora’s home, Catra had to admit it looked kinda nice. Not that she expected anything different, of course. Even as children, Adora had always been the tidier of the two. That’s not to say she never made any mess at all, of course. If Adora was focused on a task, then tidy housekeeping went out the window. But when it came to the end of the day, Adora used to always ensure her living space was neat, whereas Catra tended to be content to leave everything as it was - a habit she still maintained to this day.

As she looked around, Catra was distracted by Adora kneeling down in front of her, her dumb face far closer than Catra wanted right now. But then an brilliant idea came to mind. She knew how to pay Adora back.

Adora shrieked as Catra shook herself off as frenetically as she could, aiming as much rainwater from her sodden fur coat straight at the blonde’s face as she could. Adora brought her arm up to shield herself, but it was already too late. A few strands of now wet hair had fallen from her hair poof, and Catra was more than satisfied. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was an actual cat, she would be smirking right now.

“Hey! Stop it!” Adora whined. Which of course, spurred Catra on even more. Until she was merely damp, whereas Adora now had tracks of water dripping down her face. “No!” Adora jabbed a finger in Catra’s direction. “Bad cat!”

Catra really wished she could laugh in Adora’s face right now.

Instead, she settled for turning her back to Adora with as much sass as she could muster to make her position perfectly clear, before walking into what must be the kitchen, judging by the floor tiles and counters against the wall.

Unfortunately, she was once again accosted by Adora. But only after wiping her face with a towel, much to Catra's satisfaction. The small, undoubtedly petty, modicum of revenge for Adora abandoning her gave her a warm feeling in her chest. Or was that just a cat thing?

“Do you have a tag, buddy?” Adora asked with a warm voice. 

Catra hated how much she’d missed Adora’s voice. It was easier to shove down that voice in her head that begged her to leap into Adora’s arms when Adora started scratching her nail across Catra’s neck, fingers roaming to locate any sort of collar around Catra’s neck. 

Catra hissed, causing Adora to stiffen slightly. But not enough to stop. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to hurt you,” Adora used her pet voice, which only served to infuriate Catra even more. “I’m just trying to see if you belong to anyone.”

That statement alone pissed Catra off more than anything else that day. Catra was her own person. The very thought of anyone “owning” her brought a white hot wave of fury. The result was a hiss so loud that it forced Adora to jump back slightly, getting her arm out of reach just in time as Catra extended her claws and took a swipe at her.

“Woah, easy!” Adora pleaded. “Okay, it doesn’t look like you have an owner.” Adora’s face, scrunched up in tension, softened as she looked tenderly at Catra. “How about I look after you?”

Catra’s mind shorted out, her planned next move to escape going out the window (which ironically, probably involved going out a window). After all, hadn’t she been hoping for a chance to be with Adora again, after all these years? 

Which was going to win out? Her corrosive need to hurt the blonde like she had hurt her all those years ago? Or her burning desire to be close to Adora again?

Her inaction, as she sat there lamely, was inferred as agreement in Adora’s mind. After all, it’s not like she could tell Adora how much was running through her head, competing for the grand prize of fucking Catra’s life up the least.

“Great! You stay right there, I’ll run to the store and stock up on supplies!”

Before Catra could even blink, Adora rushed off, quickly slipping on her shoes and coat before heading out, locking the door behind her. 

_‘Fucking great! Now I have to stay with-with…with…her.'_

Catra’s brain refused to work with her. It was as though her mind had decided to go on strike, without informing her whether this was something she desperately wanted or a living nightmare. All she knew was that it was either a really good thing or a really bad thing. But not both. She guessed she’d have to just see how it went.

‘Or not…’

Catra eyed the window, which the dummy had stupidly left open a crack. Surely enough to pry open and slip out…?

Catra leapt up to the windowsill. She reached forward a paw, ready to make her escape. She’d be gone before Adora came back, and she wouldn’t have to cross paths with her ever again. Catra would never have to be a burden to Adora, just as Adora had made clear when she left her behind with Weaver.

An almighty sound crackled through the air, lighting up the now dark night sky with a flash. Catra yelped as she leapt back, falling down to the carpeted floor of Adora’s living room. When she’d managed to climb back up, her worst fears were confirmed. The thunder and lightning had heralded a heavy downpour of rain. There was absolutely no way she was braving the outside. She guessed she’d just have to bear a night with Adora.

* * *

When Adora said she was going to pick up some supplies, Catra didn’t expect her to bring back the whole damn store! Yet that’s what it seemed like when Adora shoved her way inside, wrestling several heavily filled bags inside. Catra made certain to dive out of the way, not trusting the big klutz to not accidentally drop a bag on her entire body. Cat problems.

“Sorry!” Adora apologised guiltily as she watched Catra scamper away. That bumbling moron probably thought Catra was merely skittish like any cat near a stranger, rather than actually recognising what a danger hazard Adora’s naturally clumsy self could be.

She watched Adora pull out a large sack of cat litter, an assortment of different coloured bowls, several different types and brands of cat food (both dry and wet). Tins, sachets, and whatever other type of container you could possibly imagine. Clearly, Adora hadn't lost her tendency for being overprepared.

Catra opened her mouth to deliver a scathing insult to her dunderheaded old friend. But as if the universe itself was taunting her, only pathetic mewling escaped her lips.

“You’re probably hungry, I know.” Catra’s eyes lit up at Adora’s words. She’d forgotten how hungry she was until that moment, and then her belly’s appetite returned with a vengeance at the reminder. Catra couldn’t remember a time she was more eager for a meal. Not even back at Weaver’s as kids, when they were consistently underfed thanks to the twisted old woman’s habit of refusing to spend any more than the minimum she could get away with.

Catra was confused when Adora placed a small bowl on the floor in front of her. But then that perplexion turned to annoyance when Adora proceeded to tear open a sachet of cat food, tipping the disgusting-looking contents into said bowl. 

Catra eyed the bowl full of cat food with suspicion before shooting a dirty look up at Adora, staring at the woman as though she was trying to poison her.

Adora looked confused, and even had the audacity to shrug her shoulders. “Well? Aren’t you hungry?” she asked, and Catra kept her firm stare trained on the big idiot.

After looking back to the gross meal, then back to Adora, then back to the sad excuse for food, then back to the puzzled woman watching with her eyes and nose scrunched up in a way that would be cute if it weren’t for the nightmare Catra was currently living. 

But eventually Catra exhaled and calmed down somewhat. She supposed she wasn’t really being fair to Adora. She didn’t know she wasn’t dealing with an actual cat. How could she? Besides, was cat food really the worst thing in the world?

With a good deal more reluctance, Catra finally lowered her head into the bowl. As unaccustomed as she was to eating using only her mouth rather than her hands, she looked the part. May as well act like it too.

Catra took a big bite and…

_‘This is the vilest shit imaginable! Gross!’_

Adora gasped in a mixture of shock and disgust as Catra proceeded to eject the revolting chunks of what tasted like rotting meat and jelly from inside her mouth, all over Adora’s kitchen floor. She was too busy making sure there wasn’t a trace of the repugnant - and quite frankly piss-poor - attempt at edible food to savour the look of horror on Adora’s face at the state of her kitchen floor. Unfortunately, that look only lasted for a couple of seconds, not long enough for Catra to stop spewing over the floor.

“Did I not get the right food?” Catra heard Adora ask herself. She looked up to see Adora with that same recognisably clueless look she always displayed when she knew she’d messed up, but didn’t quite understand how. Ignorance is bliss, or something like that.

Adora then looked down at her, and Catra felt her anger towards Adora dim somewhat at the genuinely remorseful expression on her face. “Sorry buddy, but that’s the best I’ve got. It’s the only thing I’ve got, actually.” She paused, a few seconds of silence stretching between the two, locked in another staring contest. “Why don’t you give it another try? It can’t be _that_ bad.”

Catra knew there was absolutely no way she was putting anymore of that dogshit into her mouth. Instead, she opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out as far as it could go at Adora.

Adora threw her hands up, huffing in exasperation. “Why are you being so difficult?! I thought cats were supposed to be easy!” She then turned away to the stove and began to cook her own meal.

Catra watched throughout as Adora cooked a simple meal: pasta.

‘Even _she_ can’t screw that up.’

For all of her talents academically and anything to do with sports, Adora had never been much of a cook when they were teenagers. On the few occasions her and Catra had snuck into the kitchen when nobody else was home because they were too hungry to wait for whatever measly meal Weaver eventually brought them, Adora burned everything without fail. That’s why on most of those odd occasions, Catra tended to be the one in charge of the kitchen. Catra hoped Adora had grown out of that habit.

Thankfully it smelt good, and no smoke alarm went off. Catra was desperate for a taste, but she knew she’d have to be patient if she wanted to eat it cooked. 

Fortunately, her patience was rewarded. Adora scooped her pasta and tuna into a bowl, and Catra knew this was her opportunity.

The moment Adora pulled out the chair and sat down, Catra climbed up onto the table and sat in front of the bowl. She bugged her eyes out as wide as they could go, hoping the look would come off as cute enough to persuade Adora to give her some food that wouldn’t make her barf. After all, she had big cat eyes for a reason. May as well use them.

Adora looked down at her for a split second before a tiny smile crossed her face. Even as a cat, she always understood Catra.

“Okay,” Adora nodded, rising from the table. “Just stay there, m’kay?” Catra did exactly as requested, watching Adora bend down, opening the cupboard to pull a second bowl out. Catra enjoyed the view. For the first moment all day, she was glad to be a cat. At least that way, she could appear completely innocent, and Adora was none the wiser. 

Catra’s mouth watered as Adora brought the second bowl over, scooping a generous portion from her own bowl into Catra’s. Too hungry to give a damn about anything other than satiating her grumbling stomach, Catra dug in immediately, knowing that her face was being covered with the sauce Adora had mixed in. 

She stopped immediately though and looked up the moment she heard a sound she’d not heard in a very long time. A sound she never thought she’d hear again. A sound that immediately gave her a warm feeling in her chest. Adora was giggling.

Catra felt herself softening the longer she gazed at Adora. At the crinkling either side of her eyes. The cute way her nose scrunched up. The tears she had to wipe away from laughing too hard. Adora reached forward tentatively to place a hand on top of Catra’s head, gently stroking her fur with hesitance, ready to pull away the second Catra hissed.

Except she didn’t. 

Five minutes ago, she definitely would have done. She still held a burning grudge against Adora for leaving her. But Adora’s actions - feeding her, giggling because of her, taking in a cat who had nothing to do with her and trying to take of her anyway, in spite of hostility - had cauterised that particular wound for the moment.

“You’re the oddest cat I’ve ever seen,” Adora said, breaking Catra from her thoughts, focusing her attention back on the friend she’d finally found again. Adora’s voice was still light with a hint of laughter, but it felt good. The words said in a way that implied Adora’s observation was full of interest, rather than judgment.

Catra had always liked to be a unique individual, never wanting to just blend in. Adora’s admission - regardless of knowing that she was actually Catra or not - felt like such a compliment that it put a smile on her face. 

It felt like the type of thing little Adora would say to little Catra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's safe to say that cat food is not going to be Catra's choice of meal.
> 
> What did you think? Feel free to tell me what you liked. Any particular lines that stood out to you, any emotions you felt while reading. Let me know what you thought! Comments really make my day, no matter how long they are. Even just a good ol' keyboard mash serves more than adequately as an emotional response.
> 
> Feel free to find/yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Stay safe! :)


	4. Thunderstorms and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Catra gets scared, Adora is there to comfort her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the terrific reaction to this fic! When I got the idea, I thought it might get a few hits, but I have been absolutely blown away not by the counter that never seems to stop going up, but by the overwhelmingly positive, detailed and infectiously enthusiastic comments. You all make my day, and inspire me to keep on writing. :)

It’s safe to say that when Adora woke up that morning, the thought that she’d end the day with a pet cat of her own to watch over was not one that had occurred to her.

Yet that was exactly what had happened. Adora couldn’t help but feel a need to look after the lone feline. She’d always had a deep appreciation and joy whenever she saw an animal in need of care and affection. This was different though. When most people tried to comfort a stray cat, only to be sprayed with water and hissed at, they’d probably walk away.

She assumed so, at least. Adora had never had an off switch. She’d keep on trying until it worked.

But something was off here, something she couldn’t put her finger on. The cat might be a bit overly aggressive, but it looked so sad, like it needed to be taken care of, but would never ask for it (assuming it even knew what it wanted in the first place). Maybe she was just projecting. But had that ever stopped her? It probably should have done, but it didn’t.

Adora put the last of the dishes onto the draining board, taking off her rubber gloves before heading into her living room. The curious cat following behind her.

Adora made herself comfortable on the couch. Propping herself up against her couch cushions, she eyed the cat with interest, as the cat sat in the middle of the room studying her just as closely. The room was quiet, the only sounds being their breathing and the pitter-patter of rain splattering against the windows.

The dimly lit room received even more light for a split second in the form of a white flash from the window. A second later, an almighty crack interrupted the still atmosphere. Adora was slightly startled by the thunder, but her heart panged with sympathy upon watching her new cat yelp and leap into the air, startled terribly by the threatening sound.

“Aw, come sit with me,” Adora said softly to her new feline, patting a space beside her on the couch. The cat stayed in place, looking hesitant for a moment, tilting its head. But a few seconds later, once a second thunder clap sounded, the cat wasted no time in hopping up beside Adora.

Adora was surprised when her new cat curled itself up into her side, burrowing its face into the comfort of her clothing. 

“It’s okay. I'm here,” Adora whispered soothingly to her and she began stroking her fur. Yep, this cat was _definitely_ a her, Adora decided. She’d never been so sure of anything in her life.

A third bout of thunder arrived, and Adora felt her cat reach to place her paws on Adora’s stomach, in a way that looked as though she was trying to wrap her arms around her. Adora was so touched by the action that she didn’t mind feeling her claws digging into her shirt. In response, Adora reached her arm around her cat, the poor creature fitting perfectly into the crook of her arm. She gently squeezed her arm into her cat’s body. It appeared to provide the comfort she intended. Because a second later, she could feel a rumbling coming from the feline tucked into her side, vibrating into her. 

She was purring. Because of her.

Adora had never been more pleased to be taking care of an animal in her life. Not even when she spent a summer looking after horses, taking a particular liking to one she named Swiftwind. That horse would always hold a special place in her heart, with Adora continuing to make regular visits to this day. But this cat, the cat she’d only met and taken in a couple of hours ago? She already felt a close connection forming, as though this cat belonged with her.

That of course, led her mind back to thinking about Catra again. There was no denying the similarities of her old friend and the creature now under her care. Both were rough around the edges, not taking kindly to strangers. But once she peeled back the walls, they were the cutest beings she’d ever had the pleasure of spending time with. That gave her an idea.

“I think I’m going to call you…Catra,” Adora murmured. She felt her cat stiffen under her touch at the name, blue and golden eyes shooting impossibly wider. She stopped purring. And instantly, Adora felt bad for breaking the silence.

But then she curled into Adora even more, the purring returning with renewed vigour. Adora smiled as she watched Catra’s sleepy eyes lower, until she could feel light breathing signify that she was now fast asleep.

It was in that moment that Adora decided that watching Catra sleep, looking so small, vulnerable and not at all like the hissing, volatile animal she’d initially been, was one of her favourite things to look at.

* * *

As she blearily opened her eyes, Catra was surprised to find herself all alone in the dark, that blonde dummy nowhere in sight. She could still hear the rain outside, but thankfully no more thunderstorm. 

Her mind went back to what she remembered before falling asleep. Of course her attempts to communicate with Adora would fall to the wayside, courtesy of the fucker who decided it was the perfect night for a thunderstorm! 

As much as Catra was hesitant to get close to Adora again, her old scars painfully present from the last time Adora exited her life, all she knew at the moment the thunder had reverberated around the room was fear. Catra wouldn’t admit to being scared of anything, but thunder had always elicited a particularly strong reaction for her. Her mind had gone back to memories from her childhood, of little Adora wrapping little Catra up in her tiny arms, rubbing her back to soothe her against the thunderclaps terrorising her. And it always worked.

That was the only reason she accepted Adora’s invitation, her body curling into Adora’s without a second thought. Not because she liked her.

But then that dummy had decided to give her a name.

_Her_ name.

At the time, Catra had accepted it, with a mental note to unpack it later, when she wasn’t terrified out of her own damn mind.

Later was now.

_‘Fuck.’_

Catra honestly still didn’t know what that meant, if anything at all. On one hand, Adora still remembered her, which made her insides feel just as fuzzy as the fur on her back. With how easy Adora had left her behind without a fight, Catra thought that perhaps Adora's memory of her would fade with time. Clearly, this proved that hadn’t been the case. 

What if Adora thought about Catra even half as often as Catra thought of Adora?

No. Catra was fooling nobody but herself. She knew she wasn’t _that_ important to anyone. She’d made damn sure of that over the years with her curt, acidic demeanour until given a reason to trust.

_‘But what if?’_

Of course, the alternative was that Adora’s sometimes over-simplistic mind went around naming every single cat she came across, “Catra”. 

She _definitely_ wasn’t ruling that out. She still remembered the time her and Adora’s class had gone on a field trip to a nearby farm, and Adora had insisted on referring to every single damn horse as “Horsie”.

Catra couldn’t deal with this right now. So, she went off in search of Adora. Her mind was running at a million miles, and simply being close to Adora had always worked to calm her down. And if the events of the evening had proven anything - that was still just as much the case as it had been a decade ago.

Given the complete and total darkness of the house, Catra guessed it must be the middle of the night. It didn’t take a genius to work out where Adora would be right now.

_‘But which of these rooms are hers?’_

Sure, it wasn’t a big house. But with her reduced size and complete lack of knowledge of the layout, finding Adora would be easier said than done.

Upstairs seemed like the safest bet to start, so Catra scampered up the steps. The experience of having to climb each individual step - in contrast to how simple it was to walk up and down as a human - was a sobering one.

_‘Are stairs usually this much of a bitch to climb?!’_

Thankfully, Catra managed to ascend the obstacle course that was Adora’s stairs. She sat there getting her breath back from the ordeal, when she noticed that one of the doors was open a crack. It stood to reason that perhaps Adora might have left her bedroom door open.

Maybe just for her.

Catra prowled inside, using a paw to push the ajar door open even wider. She walked in, rewarded with the sight of Adora tucked up in bed, slightly open mouth exhaling softly in time with her chest rising and falling, in a steady rhythm.

_‘How is it possible for her to be this cute when asleep?’_

But then Catra noticed the small patch of drool on Adora’s pillow. Maybe not quite as cute as she first thought.

But Adora was Adora. And Catra was still Catra.

And Catra _needed_ to be close to Adora again.

She hopped up onto Adora’s bed. As much as a part of her yearned to snuggle into Adora’s arms, the more prideful part of her personality laughed in her own face at the very idea.

_‘Just how pathetic are you trying to look?’_

But that need to be close to Adora was too powerful to ignore. And so, Catra settled for walking carefully to the foot of Adora’s bed, making sure not to step on any part of Adora’s upper body to risk waking her.

_‘Not that she needs beauty sleep.’_

Catra then stepped up onto Adora’s legs. She laid herself down and curled in on herself, feeling more comfortable and at ease on top of Adora’s bed than she’d felt at any point wrapped up in her own.

She was on the verge of closing her eyes to go back to sleep, when she caught Adora’s eyes twitch. She watched that adorable idiot open her beautiful blue eyes, squint sleepily at her, before closing them again. A smile slowly spreading across her lips.

Assuming that would be the end of it, Catra closed her own eyes to go to sleep. But when she felt Adora’s hand carefully run across her fur, the touch light yet no less comforting and full of love, that’s when Catra felt truly cared for, for the first time in years. Her own purring echoing in her ears a clear signifier of that.

Even if it meant she had to be a goddamn cat, she'd take what she can get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's Catra's first night as a cat over with! Was this cute or was it cute? Honestly, I'm a sucker for tooth-rotting fluff, and I hope that I managed to achieve that here.
> 
> Don't worry, angst will be returning. But I think that for now, Catra needed a real reason to stick around, and Adora needed a real reason to want to protect Catra. I think now both of them realise that they want each other around.
> 
> Honestly, I'm not too sure what to think of this chapter. I've got to be honest, it's a bit of a rough time for me personally right now, so I'm not sure to what extent that has affected writing this chapter. I hope it was still enjoyable, but I won't know until you guys let me know. Things are about to get busier for me, so I can't say for certain how regular future updates will be.
> 
> As always, please consider writing me a comment to let me know your thoughts. Good, bad, go wild! (But if you did find flaws, please be kind).
> 
> Next time: Catra starts fucking up Adora's shit!
> 
> Feel free to find/yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Until next time! :)


	5. Miscommunication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra starts off day #2 as a cat by attempting to show Adora that she is not a real cat. It does not go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> I just want to thank every single one of you for the love and support you guys showed me in the comments, especially for the last chapter. My mind continues to be blown by just how much everyone seems to be enjoying this story. This started out as a silly little 'what if' idea, and it's clearly resonating with people. I couldn't ask for better readers, I really couldn't.
> 
> This chapter was written far earlier than I expected! I thought I might have needed a break, but I just got into this one, and found it easier to write at a time where I was not expecting to be able to write at all. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> See you in the end notes! :)

As Catra awoke to start another shitty day, she felt the same as she always did, even if there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was amiss.

_‘Oh shit.’_

It hit her. She became a goddamned _cat_ yesterday. Now was the moment of truth to find out if that cosmic joke being played by whatever asshole was in charge of the universe, was still in effect.

She slowly reached forward an arm, blue and golden eyes firmly squeezed shut, both desperate to see and simultaneously wanting to live in ignorance.

Catra slowly inched her eyelids open, aannnddd………

_‘NO!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!’_

Yes. She was still a cat, the furry leg ending in a paw couldn’t be any clearer if it held a mirror up to reveal a wet nose and whiskers.

Catra felt a sudden urge to hurl objects around the the room. But then she remembered that she had no fingers to grip with.

_‘Being a cat **SUCKS**!’_

The most she could settle for was extending her claws out and tearing apart Adora’s bed with her bare paws.

_‘Adora!’_

Catra abandoned the thought of annihilating her rediscovered best friend’s bedding, the very thought of that relentlessly cute, blonde idiot working to calm Catra down. Now it had never been clearer of what she wanted to do.

Before Catra even realised that she wanted to find Adora in hopes of shutting down her anxiety, she was already bounding down the stairs.

Catra found Adora in the kitchen, an apron around her front. Her back was to Catra as she worked on preparing something on the counter, too high up for Catra to see.

Catra’s wound up nerves instantly relaxed in the presence of the calming klutz. A feeling instantly shattering as Adora managed to lose the grip on her rolling pin, clattering on the countertop.

“I got it!” Adora cried out to herself in the split second between dropping the rolling pin and it falling on the granite surface. A second after she found out she absolutely did not “got” it, Catra heard Adora sheepishly mumble, “Oops”.

Catra tried to chuckle, but cursed her (hopefully temporary) affliction, as her own meow reached her ears.

Startled, Adora’s expression quickly softened to a smile as she turned around, bending down to meet Catra’s eyes.

And as Catra recognised that look in Adora’s eyes, the look that screamed, ‘look what an adorable cat you are’, and not ‘hey Catra’, she decided that it was of paramount importance that she communicate to Adora of who she really was.

“Good morning Catra,” Adora cooed, and Catra immediately tensed at the tone of voice that would not be appropriate if the cruel bitch that was life hadn’t dictated that she be a cat on this day.

It was then that Catra took in the design of Adora's apron. A large sword took up most of the space. The blade was a light shade of blue, a thin, black line running down the middle, breaking off to form parallel shapes on either side. The hilt of the sword was golden, licking up the blade like flames. An oval, egg-like gem sat as the main centrepiece of the hilt, a slightly darker blue than the blade. Above the sword was written, "For the Honor", and below the sword was, "of Grayskull".

_'I see Adora is still into those dumb fairy tales.'_

Adora extended the upward palm of her right hand towards Catra, from her place knelt on her kitchen floor. Catra licked her lips as she recognised her first opportunity.

In a move that was decidedly un-catlike, Catra raised her paw and placed it into the palm of Adora’s hand. She waited for Adora to curl her fingers around her paw before moving it down and up again, in a shaking hand movement.

“Oh,” Adora’s cute face widened in surprise.

_‘Yes! Here we go!’_

“You are one smart cat.”

_‘Fuck!’_

Catra could have facepalmed herself into next week, if she still had a hand to do it with.

_‘Of course Adora would mistake me shaking her hand as an abnormally intelligent cat mimicking human behaviour!’_

Because why would anybody make this _that_ easy for her?

However, as soon as Adora released her gentle grip around Catra’s paw, Catra had another trick up her sleeve. She’d always been messy, especially as a child. That penchant for sloppiness often resulted in her licking tiny spots of food stains from her arms - which she never had any problem doing in front of Adora. Surely there was no way Adora wouldn’t recognise that habit as one so quintessentially Catra…right?!

Catra brought up one of her front legs, flicked out her tongue, and proceeded to languidly drag it up and down the fur. She made certain to drag the action out as much as possible, carefully maintaining eye contact with Adora the entire time, golden and blue mismatched eyes boring into Adora’s baby blues.

For a few, precious moments, Catra thought she saw a look of familiarity flicker across Adora’s eyes, those orbs widening an inch.

But then Adora shook her head to herself before schooling her features back into neutrality, standing back up and turning back to her cooking.

Nope.

_‘Goddamnit Adora!!’_

* * *

Adora’s cooking was going well. Well, as well as she could expect from herself. She never claimed to be a master chef. Her dabbling didn’t tend to have favourable results. But she always gave it one thousand and thirty percent. Some of her friends called her an overachiever, and said that maybe she should try mastering beginner recipes first. You know what she said to that?

“Pfftt, it’ll be fine!”

Most of the time, it wasn’t. But she certainly always gave it her best shot.

And today’s attempt was working out well. So well in fact, that she was able to put it in the oven, able to relax for a while. Hell yeah! Adora was pumped at her own success.

_‘Take that, Glimmer! I told you I could do it!!’_

Adora couldn’t wait to show the rest of the Best Friend Squad the fruits of her labour. A recipe that involved literal fruit.

_‘Huh, haven’t seen Catra around in a while. I wonder where she’s got to?’_

Adora was already enamoured with her new cat. She knew it was stupid. She only took her in last night, and she didn’t know for sure whether the cat was indeed without a home or not. For all she knew, the poor cat had an owner who was worried sick.

That thought only made Adora desperately hope that Catra didn’t already have a home even more.

If last night had proven anything, Adora knew she had made the right decision by inviting Catra into her home. It had been quite some time since she’d felt as at peace as she did last night, cuddling her new cat in her arms. And if she thought that was a one-time only deal, she had later been awoken by Catra voluntarily not only coming into her bedroom, but actually climbing on top of her bed to be close to _her_.

Or had she dreamed that?

Nope! She was definitely awake for that, because she woke up with Catra curled up on top of her legs, the calm creature looking totally at peace. A stark contrast to the angry animal she’d met the previous evening. All she needed was someone to offer her love and support, and Adora couldn’t be more thrilled she was able to do that for her. The feline still felt strangely familiar, in a way that Adora couldn’t place. No matter how long and how hard she sat and thought about it, over and over again.

No worries! She’d totally get it later.

At that moment, Adora heard a rattling sound coming from the living room. She was about to head in there anyway, may as well check it out.

The sight that Adora saw was not what she expected. At all.

Perched on the very top of Adora’s bookshelf unit, was Catra. Who looked so proud of herself.

_‘Is she smirking at me??’_

“How did you even get up there?” Adora asked in disbelief as she walked over ungracefully, momentarily managing to stumble over nothing whatsoever. Even her legs were surprised.

It was the tallest piece of furniture Adora owned, only a few inches away from touching the ceiling. Even Adora couldn’t reach the top by herself. Not even on tiptoes. Obviously, Adora knew that cats were excellent climbers. Duh. That’s like, cat fact #1. But she could see no conceivable way that she could possibly have clambered on top, where she was now laid across the top, swishing her tail lazily. Almost as if in challenge.

Her mind rewound back to all the times Catra (childhood best friend Catra, _not_ smug, smirking cat, Catra), managed to climb up to places Adora could never dream of climbing on her own. The more time she spent around this wonderful, infuriating animal, the more she reminded her of the girl who served as her namesake.

Adora giggled up at the cat before turning to retrieve the stepladder leant against the wall which she used if she ever needed to reach the top shelf. The cat looked at first shocked to see Adora climbing up towards her, followed by what Adora could only describe as “severely pissed off”.

“Come on,” Adora chuckled between words. “Don’t scowl at me, Catra.” She reached out slowly, half expecting Catra to leap off to escape her reach. She was instead pleased to find Catra offer no resistance, allowing Adora to wrap her arms around her and pull her back into her arms, climbing down the stepladder before setting her on the floor.

But that didn’t mean she was going to go quietly after that. The moment Adora crouched down to Catra, the cat hissed in her face before turning and running away. Adora sighed as she followed Catra into the kitchen.

_‘When will this cat start making sense?!’_

* * *

Catra was frustrated. No, scratch that (emphasised by Catra _literally_ scratching at Adora’s carpet). She was pissed off.

None of her attempts so far had worked in communicating with Adora that she was not, in fact, dealing with a cat. Her childhood friend had found her way back to her, trapped in the pitiful form of a literal cat. Yet she couldn’t see that, no matter how many recognisable childhood mannerisms Catra tried to convey. Licking her arm clean, climbing what would seem out of reach to anyone but her, the list went on.

No matter what she did, Adora was oblivious to her attempts to communicate.

_‘Typical Adora. Can’t see what’s in front of her even if I put a big neon sign flashing, “I am NOT a cat!!”.’_

Hold on. That set off a lightbulb in Catra’s head. Adora was probably going to be angry at her for it. Actually, she was going to be downright furious with her. 

_‘But when did I ever let that stop me?’_

And if it worked, it would solve Catra’s second biggest problem. First biggest being the fact that she was a motherfucking cat!!

But if she could just tell Adora who she was, maybe Adora could work out some way to help her go back to being human.

Big ask, but it’s not like Catra had any other options. If she did, Adora would be the last person she would turn to.

Actually, that wasn’t true. Not anymore.

Catra hadn’t expected her feelings for Adora to resurface, breaking through the ice of bitterness towards Adora, which had formed long ago.

Mulling the idea over in her head for the briefest of seconds, Catra decided it was a go. 

She leapt up onto Adora’s couch and flexed her paw, extending and readying her claws.

Catra began carving a message into the seat of the couch. First was a horizontal line, followed by a vertical line starting at the middle of the first line. Once the horizontal line was completed, Catra moved her claws down to the bottom of it, scratching in another horizontal line in parallel with the first one.

She was just about to start on the second word when Adora burst in. Upon seeing Catra’s handiwork, her eyes and mouth flew open. Catra hastily started work on the “A” before feeling frantic hands wrap around her. She yelped as she was effortlessly pulled away in a flurry of motion.

_‘Did Adora get really strong, or is it just because I’m a tenth of her size?’_

Catra felt guilt thump away in the pit of her stomach as she took in Adora’s scandalised expression, her eyes shimmering with angry tears.

“CATRA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Adora roared. Her eyebrows were narrowed, mouth set in a scowl, worry lines creasing her brow. 

She was upset, and it was Catra’s fault.

But that’s when anger decided to resurge in Catra’s chest.

Adora was bent out of shape over a bit of ruined furniture? Well too fucking bad! As far as Catra was concerned, she’d gotten off easy for the actions of teenage Adora.

Adora’s expression shifted as she began to calm down, forcing herself to turn away. Catra watched her back, noticing her shoulders rhythmically bob up and down as Adora just stood there, taking in measured, angry breaths.

“You’re banned from the couch, Catra.” The harsh tone of voice was one Catra had never heard Adora use with her before. Never. She didn't hear the anger so much as felt it.

Fury blazed through Catra’s body as she watched Adora thump back into the kitchen, leaving her stood in the room.

Alone.

Just like before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that ending, huh? I'M SORRY, PLEASE DON'T THROW THINGS AT ME
> 
> (If it's any consolation, picture Catra slinking back into the kitchen immediately after Adora, who apologies to Catra for yelling at her before they cuddle some more. That's not actually what happened, but you have my permission to pretend, kay?)
> 
> After how fluffy the last chapter was, I just had to bring out the angst. Sorry. Couldn't let Catradora get too comfortable just yet. If it's any reassurance, it's gotta get worse before it gets better (it WILL get better, but it's also gonna get worse, so I apologise in advance).
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. I hope you had fun reading. If you did (or even if you didn't), please consider leaving a comment for me. Comments ALWAYS make my day. And if I can be serious for a moment, I could really use them right now, more than ever.
> 
> Plus, they serve as an EXCELLENT motivational tool for me to keep on writing. So if you want more of this insanity, that really helps speed things along.
> 
> Next time: the Best Friend squad get together at Adora's house.
> 
> Feel free to find/yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Stay safe, look after yourself, and have a nice day!


	6. Apologies & Sparkles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora finds Catra and apologies for her outburst. Adora's friends visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the wait since the last chapter. I started a new job and found that the only time I really have available to write is on weekends (assuming I also have the motivation).
> 
> Have fun reading, and I'll see you in the end notes! :)

For the past few hours, Catra had made sure to make herself scarce, finding a good place to sulk. Not so easy, given she hadn’t been around Adora long enough to know which parts of the house were more often than not Adora-free zones - if any.

Luckily, Adora didn’t seem to be in a rush to find her either. Catra thought that would make her feel better, but it only made her feel more queasy. The flames of fury had fanned out into a steadily burning upset deep in the pit of her stomach, growing the more it ate away at her.

_‘Fuck sake Adora, all this over a dumb couch?!’_

Adora’s outburst wasn’t a normal reaction to a piece of slightly damaged furniture, right? Sure, Catra would never consider Adora to be an ordinary person. But for her to get so bent out of shape about it…that was something new.

The only conclusion Catra came to was that that piece of furniture held deeper meaning to Adora. Information that she was not privy to. That was the only logical explanation for Adora’s furious yelling, the tears brimming in her blue eyes.

And Catra had fucked up, hadn’t she? She’d ruined something that meant something to Adora. She’d been fucking up her relationships with other people all her life, this was par for the course. If there had been anybody else around, this would have been the opportune time to start yelling at them.

* * *

Adora felt _bad_.

She’d had some time to calm down, including sobbing into her kitchen counter. But when the cloud of hurt had passed, she knew that she’d fucked up.

How could she have screamed at the poor creature like that? She didn’t know the sentimental value that couch held for her. It’s not like Adora had taken the time to train her not to scratch it. 

_‘Always neglecting the simple things, huh Adora?’_

She was a cat. Cats scratch things. It really was that simple. How could Adora get mad at her for something that was only natural?

Adora had neglected her cat for long enough. It was time for her to find her and make amends.

“Catra?” Adora called out across the living room. No answer. She started up the stairs. “Catra?” she tried again. Still no feline poking her cute little face out. That’s when Adora noticed the spare room’s door open, wider than it usually was. She slowly pushed it open, peeking inside. “Catra.”

If Adora hadn’t already felt bad enough before, she definitely did now. She didn’t know as much about cat behaviour as she probably should (she made a mental note to research that heavily at the earliest opportunity). But Catra looked impossibly small and vulnerable. Her tail was tucked in, ears flattened back.

Time seemed to stand still, the young woman and the cat almost motionless, looking deeply at one another.

Adora made the first move, shuffling into the room. She knew that she didn’t deserve Catra’s warmth. Not yet. That’s why instead of taking Catra into her arms like she desperately wanted to, she sat down cross-legged, a couple of feet away from Catra.

Adora opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. They got stuck in her throat, refusing to rise up. She snapped her jaw closed when she heard a low-pitched yowl. 

Adora softened her face at the confused look on the cat’s face. It was clear her behaviour had affected Catra to such an extent that it was imperative she correct it. Although no words came out, (obviously), Adora felt, more than heard, Catra waiting for an explanation. She found it spooky how after only one day together, she already felt like she was becoming more in tune with her cat’s feelings.

 _‘_ My _cat, that’s right. She’s my responsibility, and it’s my fault she’s upset.’_

“I’m sorry,” Adora finally managed to find her voice after another minute of silence. As hard as it was, she forced herself to maintain eye contact. Catra blinked before opening her mouth as though in surprise.

_‘Do cats do that?’_

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you. It’s just, that couch is really important to me.” Adora noticed that Catra’s attention was laser-focused on her, which she took as affirmation to keep going. Even if there was no way the cat was going to understand a single word she said. “It was left to me by my mom. Mara.” Adora fought back the tears that threatened to rise up at the mere thought of her late mother. “I remember when I first left my foster home to go live with her after she adopted me. I was so upset that I was having to leave my best friend behind.” Adora gave a slight chuckle. “Heh, the girl I named you after.”

For a split second, Adora could have sworn she saw Catra’s eyes flash with something like recognition.

 _‘Duh, that_ is _the name I’ve been calling her by.’_

“But my new parents made it bearable.” 

Adora smiled to herself before a thought struck her. “Look at me, the crazy cat lady already,” Adora said to Catra, although mostly she was speaking to herself. A thin smile curved her mouth upwards. “Talking to my cat like you can understand me. Just like Razz used to do.”

Adora was surprised by Catra standing up and scooting closer towards her. Tentatively so, like she wasn’t sure Adora wanted her to be nearer. In actuality, Adora couldn’t be more pleased that even after how terribly she’d behaved, Catra still wanted to be close to her.

She gasped as Catra nuzzled the palm of her hand before looking up at her, mismatched blue and golden eyes staring expectedly at her. Adora was soon running a hand through Catra’s fur. Apparently Catra had accepted her apology, because it didn’t take long before Catra’s rumbling purrs filled the room. Adora’s heart swelled, feeling at peace in the long moment, basking for as long as she could. Just her and Catra, enjoying closeness with each other.

But the moment was shattered when a shrill note rang through the house. Catra jumped into the air the moment it sounded, fur bristling. Adora couldn’t help but chuckle at the adorable sight.

“It’s okay, it’s just the doorbell, silly.” Her eyes widened in realisation before looking excitedly at Catra. “That’ll be Bow and Glimmer! They’re my best friends! I don’t know how I would have coped with losing Catra if they weren’t there to befriend me! Come on, let’s go say hi!”

Adora dashed off with the excited fervour of a child on a sugar rush. If she had taken the time to look back, she would see Catra’s tail flicking in annoyance, ears pulled back and a scowl on her face.

* * *

To say Catra was not thrilled to meet Adora’s stupid friends was an understatement.

Her and Adora were having a nice moment. She had been content to hear Adora apologise. Her explaining the couch not only helped her realise just how badly she’d fucked up by damaging something the dummy held so precious, but it also helped to begin filling in the gaps of what happened to Adora after she left. The entire period between then and now had been a wide chasm of mystery.

While a small part of Catra was glad that Adora had had people to calm her down, another part of her thought that Adora wouldn’t have needed calming down if she’d just stayed.

But the past was the past, and Catra was trying to move past that. She’d surprised even herself when she decided to snuggle closer to Adora. The blonde wasn’t the only one needing comfort, and Catra was finding it harder to resist the more time she spent with Adora. Catra was quickly relapsing into becoming an addict once again, and Adora was the drug. Only this time around, she was thinking about her in a way that was more than friends.

_‘Too bad I can’t do anything about that so long as I’m stuck as a stupid cat.’_

But then the doorbell had ruined the moment, and that big idiot had run off to get the door. Her enthusiastically manic energy would have been adorable, if Catra’s blood hadn’t been boiling at the mention of them having replaced her as Adora’s best friend. Had she really meant so little to Adora, that she had replaced her just like that?

But Catra was trying to be a better person, to grow up and leave behind her childish jealousy. So she braced herself before reluctantly following after Adora.

“Who is that??” Catra heard a male voice squeal as she jumped down the stairs, from step to step. She looked up to see two people standing with Adora in the living room.

She stopped to look at the speaker. His hair style certainly stood out, with dark brown hair shaved on the sides, and a head of dark purple hair on top. A crop top with large red love heart was the biggest eyesore Catra had ever seen, showing off the dark skin of his toned physique. He looked far too pleased to see her, and Catra definitely didn’t trust it was genuine.

Stood beside him was a short, stocky woman. Pastel pink hair flowed down in a bob, tucked behind the ears and ending at the back of her neck. Wearing what could only be described as an abomination of deep purple and subtle shades of blue, Catra decided she was trying way too hard to look important and stand out.

_‘Ugh, I should have known Adora would be friends with a bunch of dumb hipsters!’_

“You have a cat?!” a shrill voice came from the one Catra would now regard only as ‘Sparkles’, thanks to the dazzling array of obnoxiously bold colours. 

“Uhh, yeah!” Adora answered sheepishly, a hand coming to rub the back of her neck. “Sorry, I forgot to mention it.”

“Aww, she’s so cute!!” the man squeaked as he bent down to regard Catra with a sickening sweetness.

“Bow, I wouldn’t do that. She doesn’t look very friendly,” Sparkles warned.

_‘I hate her already.’_

“Don’t be silly, Glimmer,” Bow retorted. “I bet she’s a friendly cat, right Adora?”

“Right!” Adora proudly answered before her expression slipped a little. “Uh, yes!....I think she is?”

_‘Gee, thanks Adora!’_

To prove her point, Adora bent down and stroked Catra’s fur, the feline immediately sinking under the blonde’s touch and purring. Catra watched Adora stand back up with a smirk towards Glimmer.

“See? She’s fine, nothing to worry about!” Adora proudly proclaimed, flopping a hand downward.

As if in slow motion, Bow slowly extended his arm towards Catra, with the obvious intention to pet her. Catra was ready to hiss to force him back. But she had made a promise to herself that she’d be better. As much as she hated the idea of anyone (except Adora, of course) petting her, reacting so harshly to someone who was just trying to be kind (until Catra could figure out his ulterior motive), would go against that.

Plus, a lightbulb went off in her head that satisfied the side of her she was trying so hard to suppress. What better way to stick it to Glitter than to behave docile for Adora and Bow, yet the complete opposite for that overbearing, judgmental hipster?

When Bow’s hand gently pressed against her fur and began to stroke up and down, Catra didn’t purr. But she didn’t hiss either, just letting him show the physical affection with minimal resistance.

Catra focused her attention on Sparkles, smirking at the surprised look on her dumb face. Catra didn’t notice Bow ask Adora for something. When he was handed a small cylinder that fit between his thumb and his forefinger, Catra couldn’t be more puzzled. 

When he pressed down a button and flicked his wrist, a bright red dot following the pattern on the floor, that was when she knew her patience was being stretched to it’s very limit.

“Come on, don’t you want to play?” Bow asked enthusiastically.

Catra refused to move even an inch, completely ignoring the dancing red light from the laser pen.

_‘This is beyond humiliating. No way am I giving those morons any satisfaction.’_

“So she’s an angry, lazy cat?” Glimmer interrupted Bow’s focus.

 _‘Oh yeah, she’s_ definitely _getting hissed at.’_

“Glimmer!” Adora protested with a momentary frown.

“Glimmer, you can’t be mean to a cat. Why don’t you try petting her?” Bow suggested encouragingly. 

“Ugh, fine!” Sparkles groaned dramatically, grabbing both sides of her temple with her hands and arching her back before letting go. She reached a hand forward towards Catra, and the cat smirked.

Sparkles wasn’t exactly as subtle as Bow had been, reaching much quicker than he had, giving Catra another excuse for her behaviour. As soon as Sparkles was fingertips away, Catra bristled her fur and hissed with all the aggression she could muster, sending Sparkles stumbling a couple of feet away in shock. Catra wished someone had taken a photograph of that moron’s face. It was priceless, and entirely worth it.

“Catra!” Adora raised her voice sternly. As soon as Catra melted back to her normal state, Adora bent down to her, face softening. “It’s okay,” she said soothingly, stroking her fur in an effort to calm her down. “She didn’t mean to scare you.”

And that’s when Catra realised that the stern tone in her voice hadn’t actually been directed at her, but perhaps at the idea of her being made to become upset?

_‘No, you idiot! She doesn’t like you that much.’_

“UGH!!” Sparkles groaned dramatically again. “See Adora? My point still stands. You have a really mean cat.”

“I do not!” Adora rose, crossing her arms defensively, with a frown on her face.

“She’s right Glimmer,” Bow interjected, and Sparkles turned her glare onto him. “You moved too quick and startled her.”

“Well excuuuuuse me for not being a cat whisperer!!” Glimmer’s voice rose, rolling the vowel to drag the word out in petulant annoyance. “Where did you even get this cat from?”

_‘”This cat”?!’_

Catra hissed again for good measure, causing Sparkles to flinch.

_‘Good, that’ll show her.’_

“Glimmer, she can probably pick up that you’re being mean to her,” Adora said sternly, in a tone that made it clear she wanted her friend to back down.

“Okay!” Sparkles raised her hands in surrender before placing her hands on her hips. “Now answer the question.”

“Well she scratched on the door last night, I let her in and she’s been staying ever since,” Adora rushed out in a single breath while refusing to meet Sparkle’s eyes.

If Catra had wondered why Adora was looking so bashful, that was answered a single second later.

“You WHAT?” Sparkles almost shouted. “Adora, do you even know that this cat wasn’t already owned by somebody? You’ve probably abducted somebody’s pet! If they find out and get the police involved-”

“It was _raining_ , Glimmer! I couldn’t leave her out in the cold, in the middle of a storm!”

“Okay, let’s all calm down now,” Bow interrupted, raising the palms of both his hands in a placating gesture. It seemed to work, both women slackening their tense shoulders and looking at him. “Adora, did she have a collar on when you brought her inside?”

“No, I couldn’t find anything.”

“Hmm,” Bow hummed while bringing up a hand to cup his chin in thought. “Well, she could still be chipped. It’s best to take her to the vet. Then you can know for sure whether you can adopt her or if you have an owner to return her to.”

“Which you WILL do, _right?”_ Sparkles asked sternly.

Adora’s shoulders slumped. “Yes,” she sighed.

Sparkles moved in front of Adora, blocking the blonde from Catra’s point of view. 

_‘Okay, I definitely_ don’t _prefer this view.’_

“You know I’m just looking out for you, right?” Catra heard Sparkles ask in a much softer tone. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, or get too attached to her if she already belongs to someone else.”

“I think you’re already too late,” Adora said sadly.

Catra froze. 

_‘What did Adora just say?!’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, with these events only being a third of it. But I decided to split it into two at an appropriate point and release what I had to reduce the wait time.
> 
> But hey, now this is a nine chapter story! Probably gonna be splitting up more future chapters, so we'll see how long it ends up. Considering I initially only planned it to last four chapters, I'd say that's growth, lol.
> 
> But yeah, as I alluded to in the end notes, I'm afraid it's unlikely that chapters will be weekly (unlikely, not impossible!). I'll try not to make it much more than that though. 
> 
> As always, please consider leaving a comment. They always make my day, and encourage me to keep writing. Tell me your favourite parts, any lines that stuck out to you, any emotions going through your mind while reading. Did I write Bow and Glimmer okay? If you have constructive criticism, then please be kind. :)
> 
> If you're a new reader, feel free to let me know how you've enjoyed finding it!
> 
> Next time, Adora takes Catra to the vet! 
> 
> Feel free to find and yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Until next time, stay safe! :)


	7. Vet Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora's long-awaited trip to the vets! Chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get settled for this one, because the end is not a fluffy one.
> 
> But before that, fun chaos at the vets!

Never in her life had Catra detested waiting so much.

Following Adora’s dunderhead friend’s suggestion that she take Catra to a vet, that’s exactly what the blonde idiot had done. 

And that’s how Catra found herself on edge, fur bristling as she continued to dart anxious eyes, surrounded by dumb idiots (not the cute kind) and their pets. Not even Adora continuing to stroke her fur was enough to calm her down. She couldn’t relax when there was a constant risk of someone being brave enough to walk over and try to pet her.

Or even worse, some smelly furball mistaking her for a legitimate cat, viewing her as a potential friend…or worse.

Catra had dealt with a few of those already. A brave few of the waiting animals had made the mistake of looking her way. She’d turned those away pretty quickly with sharp hisses. Seeing those simple creatures quickly look away and cower in fear of her gave Catra a warm feeling in her chest, knowing she was the dominant one here.

But even so, she felt completely exposed. At least Adora was around to keep everyone around her in check.

Or so she thought.

“My, what a cutie!” Catra heard a deep voice speak in her direction. She looked up to see to see an incredibly buff woman, with her unnaturally white hair spilling down her back in a ponytail, head shaved on the sides. Catra couldn’t help but notice that heavily muscled woman wasn’t looking down at her.

“I know, she is one cute cat, isn’t she?” Adora answered. As Catra felt Adora’s soft hand gently stroke her fur, she noticed that the mystery woman’s gaze didn’t leave Adora’s face.

“I wasn’t talking about the cat,” Catra heard the woman murmur. It seemed that Adora didn’t hear her. “I’m Huntara,” the woman introduced herself. “What’s your name, blondie?”

“Adora,” that clueless idiot answered.

“Say Adora, how about we grab some coffee after we’re both done here?” Hunatara suggested.

_‘Don’t you dare, Adora!’_

“Hmmm, maybe…,” Adora hummed as she gazed dreamily at Huntara’s exposed biceps. “But I don’t think I’ll have time. If I find my cat has been chipped, I gotta find the owner to reunite them. If she hasn’t been chipped - which I’m really hoping for. Like, _really_ hoping for, then I gotta go buy some more stuff at the pet store for her permanent stay. Besides, I don’t really feel all that tired, so I don’t really think I need coffee, but thanks for the offer!”

_‘Oh Adora, you’re such an idiot. I’ve never been as glad for you to be clueless as I am right now.’_

The brawny woman cocked her head to the side, brow knitted in confusion. She clearly wasn’t used to dealing with someone as oblivious as Adora. “Are you sure? This place I’m thinking of makes great pastries.”

_‘Take a fucking hint, asshole! She’s not interested!”_

Catra wasn’t aware that her irritation had translated into a hiss, but that’s what came out of her mouth, making the burly woman flinch and curl her lip in disgust at Catra.

A tiny chuckle escaped Adora’s lips before she spoke to the woman again. Catra was too busy glaring daggers at Huntara to notice Adora screwing up her face in confusion at Catra. “Sorry about Catra, she can be apprehensive around strangers. I appreciate the offer, but I’m not really hungry at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I love food. Pastries are great, not knocking them at all, but I ate before I came out here. So uh, I’m all set for food, but thanks!”

Catra continued to scowl as she watched Huntara get up with a huff before walking off. 

_‘Good, that showed her. Nobody flirts with Adora on my watch.’_

She hadn’t realised she had been digging her claws into Adora’s thigh until she heard the blonde wince. Her anger didn’t dissipate until she felt Adora begin to tug Catra’s claws out of her flesh.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she heard Adora whisper. “She’s gone now.”

Adora’s attempt to sooth her didn’t exactly have the intended effect. For a moment, she felt guilty for having accidentally hurt Adora by sinking her claws in.

But then realisation hit her like a truck.

_‘What the fuck did I just do and why did I do it?! Did I just get…jealous?’_

The feeling made Catra want to throw up. 

She was indeed jealous.

Of a stranger flirting with Adora.

Which meant…

Oh.

_‘Oh fuck.’_

_‘And I’m still a cat, where I can’t do anything about it even if I wanted to.’_

“Catra?” 

Her name being called across the waiting room, followed by Adora standing up and carrying her in her arms was enough to snap her out of it.

* * *

  
“Her name is Catra, right?”

“Yes! Isn’t she adorable??” Adora answered with grinning enthusiasm, pride clear all over her face.

Catra had never hated the fact that she couldn’t speak for herself more. It wasn’t bad enough that she had this dumb vet waiting to check her over. She understood that was routine. It was going to happen, no point in trying to fight it. After all, she’d utterly failed to communicate her true identity to Adora up to this point. If it made Adora happy, she supposed she could deal with keeping up the façade just a little while longer.

Given she wasn’t a legitimate cat, this veterinarian examination was a foregone conclusion. The vet would confirm that yes, she was a female cat. No, she was not chipped. Yes, Adora could take her home and keep her. Blah blah blah.

Catra didn’t even try to stop herself from staring daggers at the vet, despite her having done nothing to earn her vitriol. If Catra couldn’t verbally communicate her utter contempt for her nightmarish situation, she’d settle for dirty looks.

“She certainly looks like quite the character,” the vet agreed, though Catra could hear the reluctance in her voice.

_‘Good!’_

“It’s not very often you see a cat with heterochromia,” the vet continued, and Catra started to tune out the conversation, though she did not slacken her tense body. She was uncomfortable being here, and the sooner they could get this over with and leave, the better. Then she could go back to working out how she was finally going to clue Adora in.

“…I’m going to take her temperature.” Catra finally tuned back in to hear that last part.

_‘Okay fine, stick a thermometer in my mouth.’_

Except that’s not where the thermometer was inserted. 

Catra quickly squirmed with a furious hiss, but the vet was clearly experienced enough to know the best way to hold a cat in place. Once the vet finally relinquished her hold to examine the thermometer, Catra wasted no time in leaping off the exam table and scurrying to the door.

“No Catra!” Adora cried out. Catra groaned internally as Adora grabbed hold of her after reaching the closed door, realising she couldn’t actually go anywhere.

_‘You dumb idiot, let me go!’_

“Catra, calm down!” said idiot spoke softly, running a hand through her fur. Much to Catra’s annoyance, her body reacted, instinctively softening under her touch.

_‘Why does that dummy have that effect on me?!’_

“You have to stay put,” Adora said with a hint of firmness as she gently placed her back on the exam table. 

Although she didn’t try escaping again, Catra still seethed.

“Okay, I’m just going to examine her closer, don’t be alarmed,” the vet said to Adora. Thankfully, that gave enough warning for Catra to brace herself before the vet turned her over, looking for any injuries or body abnormalities.

_‘Ugh, do I really have to have this moron poking and prodding me? Would it be so bad if I sunk my claws into her dumb hands?’_

Catra decided that yes, Adora probably wouldn’t appreciate that in the slightest. So on a rare occasion, Catra showed restraint.

“How did you find her?”

Catra had already heard Adora recount the story earlier to Sparkles, so she decided to take the opportunity to tune the vet’s annoying voice out.

_‘Maybe if Adora uses her computer, I can type out a message on the keyboard? I’m really running out of ideas to help this dummy take the hint.’_

Finally, the vet stopped annoying Catra.

_‘Besides her general existence.’_

And looked up at Adora.

“Good news. She is in good shape. And she doesn’t have a chip.”

The moment Adora’s eyes went wide with wonder, her smile spreading to become so bright it threatened to dazzle the entire room, was the moment she knew she had been right to be good for Adora today.

* * *

Elation.

That’s what Adora felt when the veterinarian had confirmed that Catra did not have a microchip. 

Which meant one simple fact, one thing that Adora had desperately hoped for all day.

She was free to adopt Catra as her own.

She could now officially consider Catra as part of her family!!!

It had been slightly embarrassing when she had let out a loud whoop that she was sure could have been heard all the way down in the corridor to the waiting room. Even Catra had looked at her with annoyance.

But who cares? She was too overjoyed to let anything spoil this delightful day.

Not even when that strapping woman had invited her to coffee, which Adora thought was a bit weird.

_‘Is that a normal post-vet thing that people do? It could be! I’ve never been to the vets before.’_

It was nice of the woman to invite Adora to a cafe, but Adora didn’t have time to make a new friend.

Even if she had to stop herself from practically drooling at the sight of the bulging muscles proudly on display - for once ignoring her impulse to challenge her to an arm wrestling contest - nothing was more important than getting Catra settled, now that she was properly part of her household. 

That meant a trip to the pet store, stocking up on cat litter, a wide variety of scratching posts in assorted shapes and sizes _(’What if she doesn’t like that one? What if she can’t quite climb up this one just yet but might do in the future?’)_ , an assortment of collars in every colour imaginable, grooming kits, cat shampoo, flea treatment, the list went on, until the backseat of Adora’s car was overflowing with her new purchases.

You name it, Adora bought it.

Yes, even an obstacle course.

_‘Preparation is the key to success! At least, I think that’s how it goes.’_

Adora had barely gotten all of her newest pet purchases into the house when she was struck by a horrifying realisation.

_‘Crap! I was supposed to send out that synopsis today!’_

Of course she would completely forget her job in the whirlwind of excitement over Catra’s introduction into her life that weekend! But the world kept turning, and Adora still needed to earn a living. In true Adora fashion, she dropped everything (literally, sending Catra hissing and jumping out of the way), and made her way to her computer. 

“Come on come on come on, hurry up!” Adora pleaded with her computer, noticing Catra watching her with a look of…amusement? “Please boot up faster, I need to submit it by 4PM.”

Of course, her computer didn’t appear to care about her plight. One day she’d save up to buy an expensive computer capable of handling more than your average toaster.

No, Adora didn’t see the irony of the small fortune of pet supplies she’d purchased earlier that day either.

Finally her computer loaded up the desktop, allowing her to open a new Word document. She finished typing out the first few sentences when her cat decided to jump up onto the desk.

Her cat. 

_Hers._

It still felt surreal that nobody was about to knock on her door and demand the wonderful creature’s return.

But when the clacking of keys snapped her out of it, she was aghast to find that Catra was deciding to play around on her keyboard, messing up her very important, for work document.

Adora’s head tilted when she noticed Catra had typed out “I AM CA” on the document, a few line breaks down from where she had left off. There was no way that was anything more than a coincidence….right? There was no way her cat had super-intelligence, enough to understand the English language or how to use a computer.

That’s what Adora chalked it up to. And that’s why she made the mistake of not indulging her any further.

“No Catra! This is important. Now go on, shoo!” Adora lightly swatted at Catra to get her the message. Catra didn’t listen, making another reach for the keyboard. This time, Adora got up, physically picking Catra up and placing her on the floor. “Go on, play with your new toys.”

* * *

Catra had had enough.

She’d tried to get through to Adora.

She really had.

But that dummy was just not listening. 

Adora had always had a tendency for selective hearing, only hearing things that were important to her. At least, that’s how it had seemed when they were kids. It turned out that nothing had changed.

Well, Catra was done trying.

Despite making enough progress on Adora’s dumb Word document, that blonde idiot couldn’t see what was right in front of her eyes!

Maybe she’d go back at some point, but right now Catra just needed to get the hell out of there.

That’s why when the mail man conveniently knocked on the door a minute later and Adora answered the door to get her mail, Catra took her opening. 

She shot out of the open door just as Adora attempted to close it, ignoring the frantic yells of the same dummy she was trying to get away from. 

She was too preoccupied with the fury and hurt waging war inside her too loud head that when she stepped out into the road, she didn’t notice the oncoming car until it was too late.

The horn blared, and Catra froze up. She was too frightened to do anything but await her own fate as the tyres began to screech, but too late. The car was coming for her, and Catra was frozen to the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that ending! I'll just be getting ready to run here, I think I hear pitchforks being sharpened...
> 
> But on a serious note, I don't want to leave you guys on such a heart-wrenching cliffhanger for long, so the next chapter will be coming out early next week to make sure to make up for that. It'll be uploaded either on Monday or Tuesday, I haven't decided yet.
> 
> Special thanks to InErosion for helping to guide the vet examination. I don't have any personal experience at a vet, so the help was invaluable.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought of the chapter! Tell me your favourite moments, any lines that stood out to you. Anything at all, I'd love to read your thoughts! Even if you just want to yell at me for daring to leave you on that cliffhanger.
> 
> Feel free to find/yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Stay safe! :)


	8. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cliffhanger from the previous chapter is resolved. Shocking truths come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back all!
> 
> So I understand that some people were not happy bunnies after how the last chapter ended.
> 
> WELL I HAVE GOOD NEWS, SO PLEASE PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN
> 
> Read on, and I hope your hearts are all healed by the end!

“CATRAAAAAAA!!!!” Adora yelled as she sprinted towards the horrifying sight with almost superhuman desperation. Time seemed to slow down, disaster about to strike. Her beloved cat was about to be squashed to a gory mess beneath the tyre of a car, and it was all her fault.

She couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t know what she’d do with herself if she lost Catra now.

With absolutely no regard for her own safety, Adora dove at the last second, clutching onto Catra and taking the cat with her as she rolled on the asphalt, the car horn continuing to blare as it drove on down the street.

Crisis averted.

As luck would have it, Adora managed to accidentally slacken her grip on Catra’s fur enough at the last second, sending her cat sprawling into a muddy puddle. Her brown fur was now soaking with dirty water, and she didn’t look happy. But that didn’t matter.

What was important was that she was still safe and sound.

Catra was _alive_.

 _Not_ squished into oblivion.

Adora winced as she shakily got back to her feet, observing all the angry red scrapes beginning to bleed on her arms.

But that was irrelevant. Her adrenaline surged as determination consumed her mind. She needed to clean Catra up, immediately. Work could wait another day. Looking after her cat was far more important. She was to blame for Catra running off like that, because she’d shooed her. Something that seemed so small and insignificant in the moment, but it could have had grave consequences.

It was time for her to make amends for that.

Her arms continued to shake from the traumatic near-death experience for Catra, even as she gathered the feline into her arms, tucking her into the crook of her arm.

She felt Catra squirm and heard her hiss as she continued to take firm steps back to her house. 

But she didn’t dare let go. Not even by an inch. Catra needed taking care of. Whether she knew it or not.

* * *

Catra hissed and tried to leap out of the porcelain prison as water continue to rise all around her, threatening to overtake her. But yet again, Adora’s strong arms were there to hold her in place. And Catra was finding it harder to resist.

Catra didn’t understand why Adora had to leap in and save her. She had the situation handled. Another millisecond, and her body would have unlocked to allow her to dive out of the path of the oncoming car.

It _would_ have done!

She didn’t need Adora’s help. Never had. Never would. Nope. She could take care of herself.

So why had Adora needed to dive in?

‘Why didn’t you move out of the way?!’

At first, Catra had been angry at the tall, blonde idiot, still trying to get away from her.

But then Catra had glanced up. And when she saw the firm set of Adora’s jaw, her eyes shining with upset - tears on the verge of spilling but destined never to fall, thanks to Adora’s sheer stubborn willpower - that’s when all the tension in her body left, willingly going limp in Adora’s arms. There was no way she could fight her when she looked like that.

She’d caused that.

She never wanted to make Adora look like that again, such a strange dichotomy between determination and hurt.

That was, until Adora tried to give her a bath.

Then that went out of the window.

She didn’t even like baths when she was human. As a cat, the much reduced size made the same regular sized tub more like a swimming pool.

“Hold still!” Adora hissed. “You need to get clean, and I’m _not_ letting you get away this time.”

When Catra heard that tone, she knew it would be better to listen.

Too bad she’d never been all that good at listening to other people.

Adora cried out as Catra’s most recent squirming caused water to splash her in the face. Catra had to admit it was definitely worth the past half an hour just to see the shocked look on Adora’s dripping wet face.

Until Adora’s arms forced her back in the tub again. And then she was caught between wanting to get out and being okay with having those buff arms, exposed by the sleeveless top she was wearing, wrapped around her.

_‘Seriously, does she work out every single day to get biceps like that??’_

“Catra, stop it!”

Just for a few moments, Catra stopped struggling. She was about to make another break for it when Adora’s quiet words stopped her in her tracks.

“You really scared me today, you know?”

Those softly-spoken, vulnerable words were enough to completely prevent Catra from wanting to escape. Her body stiffened, focusing intently on the blonde. It was then that she noticed Adora’s blue eyes beginning to shimmer.

“Like, really really scared me. Way more than I’ve ever been in my life. I thought I was going to lose you.” 

A single tear made its way down Adora’s face. Catra yearned to still have a human finger to reach up and wipe it away, when Adora did it herself. She _really_ did not like seeing Adora like this, no matter how infuriated she had been only a dozen minutes ago.

“I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.” Adora shook her head, exhaling a shaky breath in an attempt to gather herself, followed by a sniffle.

Catra’s heart was breaking at how upset Adora clearly was. She had been too consumed with her own issues that she hadn’t stopped to consider how they would affect Adora. Now she never regretted her selfish behaviour more.

That’s why Catra didn’t put up any more resistance to Adora’s attempt to bathe her over the following ten minutes as the buff blonde continued speaking softly and openly to her. If she only knew…

When Catra was clean once again and Adora pulled the plug, Catra relaxed in those strong arms as Adora carefully picked her back up, toweling her off. Once she was dry, Catra felt herself purr as she looked into Adora’s big soft eyes, those enchanting blue orbs regarding her with unconditional love.

That was when she knew there was no way she would ever do anything to hurt Adora ever again.

If Catra’s heart was the lock, Adora was the key.

* * *

After the traumatic events of the afternoon, Adora did little else but curl up with her precious cat on the couch. Any thought of work was completely forgotten. Care for her family came first. Catra was her family now.

Adora already cared deeply for the little ball of fur and love. Sure, that love was hidden behind a chain-link fence of aggression and hisses that had taken time to understand. But once she’d managed to break through, she saw the lovable creature for who she really was.

Her mind thought back to a certain girl she used to be inseparable from.

And that’s why the mere thought of losing her was too much to even think about.

Adora had never felt more at ease and tranquil than when she had with her feline purring from her place nestled in the crooked of her arm, using her other hand to gently stroke Catra’s soft fur.

After several hours of comfort, indulging in watching some TV with Catra, it was time to head for bed.

This time, Adora took Catra up with her, rather than leaving her be in the living room like she had the past couple of nights. She quickly changed into a grey tank top and shorts to sleep in. At this point she felt so comfortable with her cat that she didn’t mind her watching her.

Feeling exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the day, Adora wasted no time in getting into bed and under the covers. She expected Catra to curl up atop her legs.

But that’s not what happened.

Instead, Catra sat in front of her face, eyeing the empty space beside Adora. The cat tilted her head in what appeared to be a question. It was an easy answer.

“Go ahead,” Adora said softly as she turned onto her side and lifted up the cover, allowing Catra to snuggle into Adora’s chest, her lower half underneath the cover. She wasn’t sure if it was usual behaviour for a cat to behave this way, but she was a bit behind on studying cat psychology.

It had been a busy day.

“Comfy?” Adora asked, not expecting a reply. Much to her surprise, she watched Catra nod in affirmation. Her mouth opened in shock.

 _‘No! That did_ not _just happen!’_

Chalking it up to imagining things due to stress, Adora dismissed the thought. But she wasn’t ready to go to sleep just yet.

“It wasn’t just a random name I gave you, you know?” Adora whispered, causing Catra’s eyes to creak open. “Despite what some people might think, I don’t go around calling every cat ‘Catra’.”

She definitely knew Bow had teasingly suggested it at one point.

“No, Catra was the name of someone very close to me. She was my best friend growing up. We did everything together, and I loved her. At the time, I didn’t know that the love I had for her was more than friendship. But when I finally realised it, it was far too late and she was already gone. I haven’t seen her in over ten years, and I just wish I could find her again so I could tell her.” Adora paused to sigh. “When I found you, you just…I don’t know, reminded me of her? You do a lot of the same things she used to do, it’s uncanny. It’s crazy!”

Adora looked down at Catra, finding her cat’s wonderfully blue and yellow eyes wide open unblinkingly, like she was hanging on Adora’s every word.

Ridiculous, really.

She was a cat.

“I just needed to tell someone this and get it all off my chest. I know there’s no way you’ll understand any of this, but I just wanted to tell you why I gave you that name. She was very special to me. And so are you.”

Adora gently squeezed Catra and scratched behind her ears before shutting her eyes and going to sleep.

* * *

_‘How am I supposed to sleep after that??!!’_

Catra’s brain had short-circuited for a while after Adora’s confession. But now, several minutes later, she was finally returning to full functionality. 

Adora…loved her?

_‘No. No. No no no no no no.’_

There’s no way Adora wanted her. Not like Catra wanted her.

At least, that’s what Catra had always thought.

This new revelation shattered that perception. It turned out her feelings, the same feelings which she had also been too scared to act on, had never been as one-sided as she had thought.

Shocked didn’t even begin to cover it. Neither did mind-fucked. Even a fucking atom bomb in her brain didn’t sound quite as world-shattering.

A couple more hours of silent contemplation - in contrast to the screaming inside her own mind - passed before Catra finally calmed down enough to sleep.

It had been a night of confessions, a night of discovery and realisation.

Little did they know, it was going to be the night everything would change forever, more so than it already had. When they awoke, both Adora and Catra would need to confront their feelings.

As the two soulmates slept, the entire room was bathed in a dazzling light that made it clear something spectacular was happening. The body of the creature Adora was cuddling transformed so it was no longer that of a cat. Four paws became two hands and two feet. Fur and tail disappeared, the surface of the body becoming hair and skin once again.

The next morning was going to be the most interesting one in either of the two women’s lives.

Catra had her work cut out for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> Well here it is! The penultimate chapter! I hope you're all as excited for the final chapter as much as I am. It's time for these two loveable idiots to get their shit together!
> 
> What did you think?? Please let me know all of your thoughts! What did you like? Did anything make you feel anything in particular? Did any lines stand out to you? Am I still a big meanie for putting you through that cliffhanger?
> 
> Please leave a comment!! They put a big smile on my face and work as the best motivational tool to keep on writing.
> 
> Feel free to find/yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Stay safe!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please consider leaving kudos and a comment. Comments really make my day! Best motivator a writer can have. Tell me what you liked, or anything you didn't (but please be kind and constructive). The future of this fic isn't set in stone, so feel free to leave any suggestions that come to mind as well. I'm planning to inject as much comedy and zany situations into the rest of the story, so go wild!
> 
> Feel free to find and/or yell at me on Tumblr @ahunter8056
> 
> Stay safe! Until next time! :)


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